John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of interested parties to date in purchasing Coillte; his views on the possible conclusion of a sale or if he now feels Coillte should be kept in State ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53081/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Further to the Government decision that a concession for the harvesting rights to Coillte’s forests be put forward for sale, Coillte Board and management have been actively engaged in recent months with NewERA, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and my Department to examine the financial and other implications of developing the potential of Coillte’s forest assets.

The identification of the forestry assets involved, the determination of their value and the consideration of a number of issues associated with the proposed harvesting rights concession are at an advanced stage. It is not appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of that analysis which will be considered by the Government upon its conclusion.